2011 Episode Guide
Episode Guide By Year The HotSpot - 01/04/11 - Playing Favorites Shaun McInnis, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair trade their personal Best of 2010 lists, with all kinds of love for Mass Effect 2, Vanquish, Dead Rising 2, and Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman. Then it's time for Dead Rising: Case West, lots of e-mails, the return of phone calls, and some New Year's resolutions. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 01/06/11 - Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year It's bonus podcast time, as Chris Watters, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, Jody Robinson, and Brendan Sinclair saddle up for a spoiler-filled discussion devoted to GameSpot's 2010 Game of the Year, Red Dead Redemption! Notes: This is Jody Robinsons first time on the podcast. The HotSpot - 01/11/11 - Las Vegas - Gaming CES-pool Ricardo Torres, Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair recap the Consumer Electronics Show and Nintendo World, from Avatar Kinect to the 3DS launch lineup and battery life. Then it's time for Wii gamers to get Lost in Shadow, and the gang shares less-than-heroic intentions for DC Universe Online. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 01/18/11 - Little Big Podcast Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Justin Calvert, and Brendan Sinclair saddle up with Sackboy a second time in Little Big Planet 2, swap first impressions of Final Fantasy XIII-2, and open up on Portal 2. Then it's time to grab a pencil and take the "Are You a Pathological Gamer" quiz! Notes: Listener Hou Chung drew this picture of a two-headed Tom Mc Shea arguing with himself after Justin asked for the image to be committed to paper in this episode. The HotSpot - 01/25/11 - DS2 and the 3DS This week, the Dead Space 2 necromorph invasion claims Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, Kurtis Seid, and Brendan Sinclair. Then, the gang discovers there's only one cure for 3DS fever: an announcement of the system's price coupled with a sketchy launch lineup! Also, when do crossovers stop being cool fan service and start being shameless shilling? Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 02/01/11 - All about the NGP Ricardo Torres joins Shaun McInnis, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair in the studio to give hands-on impressions on Sony's Next Generation Portable and the HD Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. Also, we have more on the 3DS rollout, a new Kirby game, and Pokemon Typing for the...DS? Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 02/08/11 - Once, Twice, Three Times a Killzone Kevin VanOrd, Carolyn Petit, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair rush headlong into Guerrilla Games' Killzone 3 with reckless abandon before contemplating the many layers of Double Fine's Stacking. Then, the panel of Demon's Souls fans assesses the first details on From Software's follow-up Dark Souls and brace for a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved. Also, Claremont Graduate University's Tim Lisk goes over his latest research on leadership in massively multiplayer online games like EVE Online. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 02/16/11 - Marvel, Capcom, Activision, oh my! What's better than 20 solid minutes of conversation concerning Marvel vs. Capcom 3? How about 21 solid minutes of conversation on Capcom's latest fighter?! Ricardo Torres, Giancarlo Varanini, Tom Mc Shea, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino deliver the goods, while also rolling the DICE on last week's convention, dwelling on Guitar Hero's demise, and pontificating on the possible union of Activision and Take-Two. Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 02/23/11 - More like Cursin-storm... What do Bulletstorm and this week's HotSpot have in common? They're both kind of short and overly profane! Sophia Tong, Chris Watters, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino take turns with the censor button to discuss Epic's latest over-the-top shooter, before switching gears (get it? get it?) to delve into Telltale's upcoming lineup. PS3 hackers, NPD sales figures, and Gabe Newell being a very, very rich man also receive some love! Stop by, have a listen! Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 03/02/11 - The 3DS Launch (Japan Edition) Guy Cocker, Tom Mc Shea, Brendan Sinclair, and a thoroughly jetlagged Ricardo Torres run down the Japanese 3DS debut, including impressions of all the biggest launch games. Then it's time to take on the trailer trifecta of Skyrim, Dead Island, and We Dare. Finally, Stanford researcher Ingmar Riedel-Kruse tells us how he re-made Pac-Man, Pong, and other games using living paramecium instead of pixels(!). Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 03/07/11 - Deadly Premonition Spoilercast Deadly Premonition director Swery and localization head Tad Horie pay a visit to the HotSpot studios to talk at length about last year's survival horror standout. What was left on the cutting room floor due to ratings concerns? What does he think of the state of Japanese game development? Will Deadly Premonition be ported to 3DS and NGP? What does he want to experiment with next? Notes: Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair conducted the interview. The HotSpot - 03/09/11 - Dragon Age II - Take 2 Knights-errant Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, Kurtis Seid, and Brendan Sinclair quest for entertaining podcast fodder in Dragon Age II, Mortal Kombat, and the Game Developers Conference. And, in honor of Duke Nukem Forever, we have the return of ESRB Rating Description Theater! Notes: One of the few times in HotSpot history when the podcast had to be re-recorded due to a glitch (see the 05/28/08 podcast) .'' The HotSpot - 03/16/11 - All Vocal on the Homefront Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair strike a blow for God and country in THQ's near-future first-person shooter Homefront, then savagely rain down blows for fun and profit in Sega's Yakuza 4. Also, a roundup of game delays and disruptions due to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the first word on Prey 2, and fun with anagrams! ''Notes: Kevin learned his lesson from episode 01/18/11 and decided to take a pee break. Old Homework: Game Name Anagrams New Homework: Dream Game Developer Combos The HotSpot - 03/23/11 - Incredible Crysis 2 Sophia Tong, Kevin VanOrd, Maxwell McGee, and Brendan Sinclair suit up for Crysis 2, preview Sega's summer one-two punch of Captain America and Thor: God of Thunder for all major platforms, and diagnose Square's latest flare-up of Dissidia for the PSP. Also, we have more details on the NGP, Quantic Dream's follow-up to Heavy Rain, and the MotorStorm: Apocalypse delay. Notes: Old Homework: Dream Game Developer Combos New Homework: Talking video game action figures (what they would say) The HotSpot - 03/25/11 - The 3DS Spoilercast The 3DS is finally here, so it's time for Chris Watters, Justin Calvert, Carolyn Petit, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair to share their impressions of the hardware itself and take an in-depth look at the launch lineup, including Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats, Steel Diver, Super Monkey Ball 3D, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, and more! Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 03/30/11 - Rubbing is racing For the overwhelming majority of you who have a Jimmie Johnson bumper sticker and a surgically raised eyebrow, I'll just say, wow, are you in for a treat. Sophia Tong, Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Kurtis Seid, and Tom Magrino manage a mostly coherent conversation about this week's top non-3DS releases, NASCAR 2011 and WWE All-Stars. For the rest of you? Duke Nukem's misogyny, Rockstar's (in?)competent storytelling, and 3DS sales records. Enjoy! Notes: Old Homework: Talking video game action figures (what they would say) New Homework: April Fools' headlines and decks The HotSpot - 04/01/11 - The Ball and Juice Episode April is the busiest time of the year for HotSpot game-breakers Tom Magrino, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair. To mark the month's arrival, the gang goes around the horn with expert opinions, predictions, insights, and rants about all the hot topics YOU care about! Game on! Notes: Check Gag Addendum for "Ball and juice". For April Fools Day, the HotSpot posted an all-sports podcast as a way to grief the listenership. It also featured a call-in question from former HotSpotter Aaron Thomas, who was also on GameSpot's sports gaming podcast, From the Bleachers. The HotSpot - 04/06/11 - Monster Season Tom Mc Shea, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair make amends for April Fools with a sports-free show offering a hearty endorsement of DreamRift's Metroidvania-style Monster Tale for DS, a hearty "meh" to PlayStation Move Heroes, an update on Sony's ongoing battle against hackers, and new games on the way for Spider-Man, BloodRayne, and Burnout! Notes: Old Homework: April Fools' headlines and decks. '' ''New Homework: The worst game character of all time. The HotSpot - 04/08/11 - Dragon Age II Spoilercast Kevin VanOrd, Kurtis Seid, and Carolyn Petit share a spoiler-filled discussion of BioWare's latest fantasy role-playing game from start to finish on a bonus Dragon Age II-devoted episode of the HotSpot! Notes: Fill in notes here. The HotSpot - 04/13/11 - A Cornucopia of Capcom Shaun McInnis, Tom Magrino, Justin Calvert, Tyler Winegarner, and Brendan Sinclair recap Capcom's Captivate event, with impressions of Dragon's Dogma, Azura's Wrath, Street Fighter x Tekken, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, and Resident Evil: Operation Raccon City! Also, Justin bangs the drum loudly in support of Patapon 3, and Nintendo lays out its second quarter release slate. Notes: Old Homework: The worst game character of all time. '' ''New Homework: '' The HotSpot - 04/20/11 - Portal Kombat 2 Shaun McInnis, Chris Watters, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair have laser-focused, tangent-free discussions about a huge week of new releases with Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, and SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs. Also, Epic Games executive producer Rod Fergusson answers all our questions about the Gears of War 3 beta, rumors of Nintendo's next console start flying, and Sonic attempts an umpteenth comeback! ''Notes: Old Homework: '' ''New Homework: '' The HotSpot - 04/27/11 - Wii 2 and the PlayStation Not-work Nintendo announced a new console this week, but Sony somehow steals the headlines as Ricardo Torres, Sophia Tong, Tom Magrino, and Brendan Sinclair talk about their fears for the PlayStation Network's massive security breach, their hopes (and pet names) for the Wii's successor, and a homework assignment crammed full of vaguely vulgar gaming terms. ''Notes: Old Homework: '' ''New Homework: Gaming personal ads The HotSpot - 05/04/11 - In from the Outland Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Brendan Sinclair take a trip through the Outland before shining a light on Darkspore. Then the gang recaps the woes of Sony Offline Entertainment, questions whether Need for Speed is putting on too many miles, and ponders the potential for game-themed musicals. Notes: Old Homework: Gaming personal ads '' ''New Homework: Songs to be used in game-themed musicals The HotSpot - 05/06/11 - The Portal 2 Spoilercast Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Chirs Watters, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair share their experiences as the latest Aperture test subjects and examine the hows and whys of Valve's much-loved sequel. Caution: Spoilers ahead!. Notes: No homework The HotSpot - 05/11/11 - Podcasting on the Brink After Chris Watters stops by for an opening salvo on Bethesda's class-based shooter Brink, the significantly less class-based quartet of Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, Tyler Winegarner and Brendan Sinclair go all Kratos on Thor: God of Thunder, bug out over Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury, and answer a bunch of listener questions. Notes: Old Homework: Songs to be used in game-themed musicals '' ''New Homework: Inappropriate YooStar DLC scenes The HotSpot - 05/18/11 - The Shifty Eye Episode Tell me, do you want a new HotSpot? I have a dead bird's wing, some chopped-up bits of string, and a pen that's run dry, all of which say you do. ARE YOU CALLING THIS EVIDENCE FALSE?! Oh, you are? Well, OK then. Carolyn Petit, Kurtis Seid, Maxwell McGee, and Tom Magrino practice the fine art of zetetics as we discuss LA Noire, and then, hey, do some wenching with The Witcher 2. NPD drama, PSN saga, and Modern Warfare 3 bonanza are also on the agenda. Notes: Old Homework: Inappropriate YooStar DLC scenes '' ''New Homework: Sci-fi/Fantasy novels that need gaming adaptations The HotSpot - 05/25/11 - Musings From the Infinite Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, Ricardo Torres, and Brendan Sinclair trade in their scuba gear for an ornithopter. Why? Hard to say. It may have something to do with BioShock Infinite, which receives a healthy amount of chit-chat on this week's HotSpot. Other topics include The Witcher 2, Kung Fu Panda, Gotham City Impostors, and that new Modern Warfare 3 trailer. Notes: Old Homework: Sci-fi/Fantasy novels that need gaming adaptations '' ''New Homework: Game characters as presidential candidates: Tell us what platform they'd run on. The HotSpot - 06/01/11 - Infamous 2, Red Faction: Armageddon Infamous 2! Red Faction: Armageddon! Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm! Terraria? It's a packed prE3 podcast with Tom Mc Shea, Chris Watters, Kurtis Seid, Maxwell McGee, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair sifting through the latest scuttlebutt as we head into the biggest gaming event of the year. Notes: Old Homework: Game characters as presidential candidates: Tell us what platform they'd run on. '' ''New Homework: Crazy E3 predictions that will come true. The HotSpot - 06/07/11 - E3 2011 Conference Rundown Chris Watters, Carolyn Petit, and Brendan Sinclair try to recap all the major E3 conferences in chronological order and fail miserably! The gang covers Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft (and just a bit of Vita!) before the clock runs out on the first of two podcasts straight from the E3 show floor. Check back Wednesday night for the rest of Sony's show, Nintendo's unveiling of the Wii U, and everything else we can cram into our second (and sadly, final) E3 podcast! Notes: No homework for this show. The HotSpot - 06/08/11 - E3 2011 Conference Rundown part 2 Coherent thought has left the building, as GameSpot's Tom Mc Shea, Kevin VanOrd, and Tom Magrino string together words that are nothing if not English. In our discussion of Sony's and Nintendo's press conferences, we expound upon the Wii's new U and ways in which playing the Vita is a lot like tickling a small child. Special guest: vacuum cleaners! Notes: No homework for this show. The HotSpot - 06/15/11 - Never Bet on Duke Duke Nukem Forever is finally out, much to the chagrin of Kevin VanOrd, Tom Mc Shea, and Brendan Sinclair. Also, Mc Shea addresses the blowback from his Infamous 2 review, THQ shutters the Homefront studio, and absolutely everything's getting hacked. Notes: Old Homework: Crazy E3 predictions that will come true. '' ''Twitter-Excluisve Homework: Whose mugshot would you want to see from E3, and what would the charges be? '' ''New Homework: End of the World Confessions